“it is a compliment to the ladies that the newspaper values their dignity”
I respectfully do not agree that you are correct. They are not concerned about women’s dignity. There is nothing undignified about having a mice picture in the paper. If there was, then the men should be similarly concerned about their own dignity.
You and I both know that the reason is, they do not believe it to be tzniusdig to show a picture of a woman in a paper read by men, even if the picture is inherently tzanuah. It is not for me to argue the merits of that idea, and I am sure most people who have read my comments could discern what my opinion might be. Butin any case, please do not try to couch it in terms of it being for the BENEFIT of women’s dignity, to basically refuse to acknowledge their presence as half the world’s population.
Hinei Ba’ohel, does not necessarily mean she never walked outside her tent to be seen by anyone. But if it does, that was a generation when women in general were probably not seen much if at all, because they were viewed by so many, as chattel. It certainly was not because of the Torah, which a) had not yet been given and b) does not direct us to keep women ensconced solely at home. (And if you want to argue that it does, then I would respectfully answer then that no kollel wife should be out earning a parnassah – she should stay home in her ohel.)